A native of Puerto Rico, Bishop-elect Betancourt is a priest of the Servants of the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary, a religious institute founded in 1981 in Puerto Rico with ties to the German Schoenstatt movement. He is the local superior of its St. Paul community, the Casa de San Jose.

“Every one of us here today has somehow been affected by, is grieving over, and is on the journey toward healing and restoration,” the survivor said of the abuse crisis. “I truly believe God is here today and joins us in our sadness. His tears are of a Father who loves us.”

“We wanted them to know … if they had a problem, they could bring it to one of the [seminary] faculty or staff, but they should feel free to go to whatever resources they need in order to feel safe,” Bishop Cozzens said.

“Throughout this process, there was confusion about who was ultimately in charge and what should be done to ensure a fair outcome. I think that Bishop Piché believes that the investigation was completed to the best of his ability. I understand the strong frustrations expressed by Father Griffith, whom I believe acted in good faith and with sincerity and integrity. We all did the best we could in a difficult situation.”

“Having had good reasons to place my trust in both Pope Francis and Archbishop Viganò, I am personally at a loss as to how to evaluate the claims that have been made by the archbishop,” Archbishop Hebda said. “Based on my experience in this archdiocese, I believe that some form of an independent review led by credible outsiders is the only way to resolve such situations and restore trust.”

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said that it would cooperate with any new investigation into clergy sex abuse Aug. 23, following a St. Paul attorney’s call for Minnesota’s governor to commission a grand jury to investigate the situation statewide.

Two local women, Sister Sofia Thomas Coulter and Sister Felicity Heither, were among 11 religious sisters who took simple, or first, vows with the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville July 28.